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Nico di Angelo
Nico di Angelo is a Greek demigod son of Hades and the mortal Maria di Angelo. He is also the younger brother of the late Bianca di Angelo and the half brother of Hazel Levesque. He is known in the Underworld as the "Ghost King" after taking the title from King Minos. History Nico di Angelo was born before World War II, leaving the oath that Hades swore along with his brothers unbroken. He had an older sister named Bianca di Angelo. Their mother died whenZeus struck the hotel they were staying in with lightning in order to kill the siblings, however, they were protected by Hades. Apparently, Hades was not able to protect their mother in time. Both were brought to the Lotus Hotel by the Fury Alecto, who was disguised as a lawyer for their own safety. Alecto was also instructed by Hades to bathe them in the River Lethe to wipe their memories. Because of his bitterness towards the Oracledue to the first Great Prophecy and its connection to the death of Maria di Angelo, Hades cursed the Oracle that it would never find another host. After what the siblings thought as a month in the Lotus Hotel and Casino, (which was actually approximately 70 years) they were taken out by Alecto who was disguised as a different lawyer than the one who carried them in. Hades did this because he wanted one of them to be the child in the prophecy and not the "idiot" son of Poseidon, referring to Percy. They had lived in Washington DC before they were brought to a military school in Maine paid for by Hades until Grover, Annabeth, Percy, and Thalia came and rescued them. Personality In The Titan's Curse, Nico is ten years old and enjoys playing with his Mythomagic Cards that none of the others truly seem to understand. He is totally clueless and very inquisitive: he begins annoying Percy with his ceaseless questions, especially when he asks if Annabeth was his girlfriend, which makes Percy consider "stuffing him in a meat flavored sack and throwing him to the wolves." He is excited about finding out that he is a demigod (immediate response: "Cool!"), and compares monsters to Mythomagic creatures. He feels abandoned when his sister, Bianca - who practically acts as his parent - becomes a Hunter of Artemis. When she goes on a quest, Nico makes Percy promise to protect her. After her death, he develops a long-lasting grudge toward Percy for letting her die. Once he realizes that he is a son of Hades, he casts away his childhood interests and runs off on his own. He becomes more a grim and solitary and definitely a more powerful character during The Battle of the Labyrinth, saying that "only the dead respect me... and only out of fear." His attitude change may have happened partially because of Bianca's death. He believes that he will never be accepted by the living, and does not belong at Camp Half-Blood in comparison of his father feeling out of place at Olympus. However, Nico forgives Percy after Bianca's ghost tells him that it wasn't his fault that she died. He also accepts the small figurine of Hades that Bianca wanted him to have. In the fifth book, The Last Olympian, he instructs Percy on how to bathe in the River Styx. He is quite sincere in wanting to help him with the prophecy and the war. However, Nico can be somewhat unreliable at times. This is shown when he tricked Percy into coming to the Underworld. Nico is later proven wrong in the belief he will not be accepted by the living. After the war is over, all the campers of Camp Half-Blood welcome Nico cheerfully: as Percy puts it,"If you come into battle with a hundred undead soldiers to save the day, you're everyone's best friend." In The Son of Neptune, Nico is very caring to Hazel Levesque, his half sister, and tries to help her as much as he can. His helping her sort of parallels with how Percy helped him in several cases. This shows that he loves his family, even his half-siblings. Nico is helpful to others. His attitude towards Percy has changed every time he saw him, as in The Titan's Curse he is curious and questioning and likes Percy a lot like a big brother. However after Bianca's death, he acted like he hated Percy and wanted revenge, until Bianca's ghost comes back to tell him it wasn't Percy fault she died and not to hold a grudge, then becoming wary, sad and slightly distrustful. By The Last Olympian Nico wants to help Percy, and was very miserable at the thought that Percy did not trust him after his dad tricked him as well, by the end they were back to a brotherly relationship. Despite Nico pretended not to know Percy in The Son of Neptune, he spoke very highly of him to Hazel, telling her that he is dangerous to his enemies and a valuable ally to his friends. Nico's relationship with Percy also shows how much he's grown and matured throughtout the series. In The Battle of the Labrinyth, he is shown to be very naive and gullible, being able to believe that Minos was actually helping him bring Bianca back from the dead. Nico is very caring to his sister and the constant attempts to bring her back show that he won't give up without trying. In The Last Olympian, he stood up to both Kronos and Hades, showing that he is very brave and bold. He likes being on his own, not really wanting help from anyone. He keeps to himself a lot and is pretty secretive, which causes plenty of problems throughtout the series, such as when Percy and he were tricked by Hades when they went to go visit the Styx and when he and Percy met up at the Roman camp. Nico is very loyal to the gods. In The Battle of the Labyrinth he could've easily joined Kronos because of his current situation, but he chose to fight on the god's side. Fatal Flaw Nico di Angelo's fatal flaw is holding grudges, as Bianca's ghost tells him - which, in his case, can lead to not wanting help or asking to be saved in deadly situations because he doesn't like someone. Examples are his not wanting to be helped by Percy, even when Geryon was going to sell him to the Titans and not wanting to go back in the Labyrinth with them. Bianca shares this with him, as she also had the same fatal flaw in life, although this didn't lead to her death. Bianca also says that holding grudges is the fatal flaw of Hades' demigod children. In the fifth book, Nico tells his father, Hades, that he is holding a grudge that could end up killing the Olympians and the campers. Appearance He is said to have black hair that always looks like he just got out of bed (messy and shaggy), olive skin that has paled to white over the course of The Battle of the Labyrinth, dark eyes, and wears mostly black clothing. It was stated by Percy that Nico has his mother's eyes, but it has also been said that he has the wild glint of a madman in them, just like his father. By the end of The Battle of the Labyrinth, he has a silver skull ring which is said to belong to his father (as stated by Hazel), and he has a Stygian Iron sword always by his side. He is also mentioned on several occasions wearing an aviator's jacket, most likely because he was originally from WWII. He wears a black trench coat when he attempts to bring back Bianca, as shown in one of Hazel's blackouts. Hazel also points out how his fingers are ghostly white, like their father. At Camp Jupiter, Nico is seen wearing a black toga when Percy goes to talk to the senators (the reason being that togas are only worn on special occasions, like meetings). Nico always wears his Stygian Iron sword on his side in his chain belt. In The Mark of Athena, Nico's eyes are described as "looking like shattered glass", due to his ineffable experience in Tartarus. Abilities *'ADHD': Like all demigods, Nico possesses inborn supernatural battle reflexes and senses that he uses to analyze the fighting style of his opponent. *'Dyslexia': Nico's brain is "hard-wired" for divine Ancient Greek instead of modern languages. *'Fighting skills': Initially, Nico shows more skill with his powers than his fighting skills. However, this might have been due to his lack of formal combat training at camp. In The Demigod Files, he did show decent combat skills. Not only did Nico emerge unscathed, but he easily defeated the Keres he fought. Later, he even fought the Titan Iapetus along with Percy. In The Son of Neptune, Hazel mentions being impressed the first time she saw him fight, suggesting that he honed his skills between the two series, possibly during his stays at either Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. Nico was even able to fight Gaea's army in Tartarus itself, though he was overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Demigod Abilities As a son of Hades, Nico is an extremely powerful demigod. He is considerably more trained in using his powers than most children of the Big Three, such as Thalia and Percy, due to his time spent in the Underworld and he states that he trains with the dead. In The Son of Neptune, Hazel stated Nico was the most powerful demigod she'd ever seen, an impressive admiration given that she knew Jason Grace and dozens of other demigods (though meeting Percy caused her to question this judgment). Nico himself states that Percy is the strongest demigod he has ever met. Powers of his that have been shown are Necromancy, Umbrakinesis, and Geokinesis. Some include: *'Geokinesis': He can control the earth - levitating rocks and making them deadly, black, and extremely sharp. Nico can open fissures in the earth that can swallow up creatures and trap them in the Underworld. He can cause earth tremors so powerful, they can shatter the pillars of a mountain fortress. He can also control the black walls of the Underworld. He has the greatest geokinetic ability of any demigod. *'Necromancy': Nico can summon the dead, put the dead to sleep, and communicate with the dead. He also has divine authority and control over the Furies and the dead. He can banish the dead and release people who should have died (i.e. Daedalus). Some of his abilities in this domain includes the power to destroy Skeleton Warriors and physically manipulating ghosts, such as taking hold of them by hand or forcing them to be silent with a gesture. In The Last Olympian, he was able to summon a fairly large army of undead soldiers by himself. It is unknown how much he has increased in power since then. *'Sensitivity to Death': He can sense death as it happens or when it is coming; when a person close to him dies, it comes as a ringing in the ears. He can also sense when an immortal is fading, as on the case of Pan. *'Life Aura': He can sense someone's life aura (he sensed it when Rachel Elizabeth Dare's life aura flickered, and he told her, "I could see you dying.") In addition to that, he has a deep knowledge of the Underworld and knows when a person's life is being judged in the Underworld. *'Umbrakinesis': He has control over darkness and shadow for various uses such as solidifying it for attacks and to hide in it. *'Shadow Travel': He can use shadows as a way of transportation, however, great distances tend to wear him out. The first time he shadow traveled, he passed out for a week. He has said that while learning to use it, he ran into walls and made accidental trips to China. *'Induced Fear': He radiates fear and death like his father, Hades, but to a much lesser degree. *'Death Trance': Nico can also go into a hibernation called a Death Trance using the seeds of Persephone. It induces him to essentially die for a day so he doesn't consume oxygen. Relationships Friends Percy Jackson In The Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy receives Iris Messages from Bianca regarding Nico. The two later meet at Geryon's ranch, where Percy makes a bet with Geryon. Nico is included, which angers him as he shouts that he doesn't want any favors from Percy. After Percy defeats Geryon, he and Nico talk to Bianca, who tells Nico to stop holding a grudge against Percy when it is she he is angry with. By the end of the book, Nico has forgiven Percy. In the last chapter, he appears and informs Percy of a plan he has.A young Nico had the ability to annoy Percy quite easily, as seen in The Titan's Curse when he asked Percy several questions about his relationship with Annabeth. Near the end of the book though, Nico begins to blame Percy for his sister's death, making him much more cynical. Percy, true to character, feels partially at fault and responsible for Nico. In The Last Olympian, Nico leads Percy to his father's palace in order to gain information on his mother, not knowing that Hades plans to lock Percy up. Percy feels betrayed, even when Nico eventually rescues him. After Percy bathes in the Styx, he tells Nico to stay and convince Hades to join the Olympians in battle. Nico appears glum, stating that Percy can't trust him anymore. The two join to battle in final battle and Percy forgives Nico. After Percy has lost his memory in The Son of Neptune, Nico pretends to not know him, for what reasons is uncertain. Once Percy regains his memory, he feels the urge to strangle Nico for not telling him. In'' The Mark of Athena, in Percy's narration, it is mentioned that Percy had wanted to strangle Nico about what he did, but doesn't, due to how Nico is after being kidnapped. Nico states(after Annabeth and Percy's fall) that Percy is the most powerful demigod. During Nico's kidnapping, Percy doesn't give up on finding him, showing that he cares a lot about him. Percy can tell that Nico may - or may not - have seen something in Tartarus that shattered him permanantely, which shows that they know each other well, despite their previous situations. Nico and Percy share a brother-like relationship and Percy feels responsible for Nico's safety. Nico feels respect for Percy, stating that he is dangerous to his enemies and a good person to have beside you in battle. Annabeth Chase While their friendship is not mentioned extensively, Nico respects Annabeth and is at times shown to listen to her more than Percy, possibly to annoy him. Annabeth later suspects that Nico had a crush on her which was hinted although she has no feelings beyond kinship. Frank Zhang There is not much known about their relationship. While Nico is kind of mysterious and makes everybody else nervous, Frank doesn't feel the same way and may trust him because of Hazel. It is also stated that Nico finds Frank amusing. Thalia Grace There is not much known about their relationship. In ''The Sword of Hades, Thalia calls him Bianca's little brother. Nico doesn't like being called that, but he seems to be on good terms with her. Family Hazel Levesque In The Son of Neptune, Nico is shown to be very caring to Hazel Levesque, his half sister, and tries to help her as much as he can. Nico occasionally mistakes her for Bianca, which often reminds Hazel that she isn't the one he was looking for when he entered the Fields of Asphodel. Despite this, the two care deeply for each other. Nico is one of the few people who know about Hazel's past and was the one who helped her during her blackouts. The two represent the Greek and Roman form of Hades/Pluto as in Greece, Hades was known for death and in Rome, Pluto was known for his wealth. Hazel remarks that before she met Percy, Nico and Jason were the two strongest demigods she had met. Near the end of the book, Gaea informs Hazel that she has taken Nico and that he should not have gone looking for the Doors of Death. Bianca di Angelo Nico and Bianca shared a very close relationship. As their mother died when they were young, Bianca assumes an almost motherly role, bearing the responsibility that a parent would normally bear. This is possibly one of the reasons why Bianca joined the Hunters of Artemis. Nico felt almost betrayed when this happened and managed to convince Percy to follow her and keep her safe for him. When Percy failed to do so, Nico was angered and claimed that he could feel her soul being judged. In The Battle of the Labyrinth, Nico is shown to be attempting to bring Bianca back to life through the exchange of a soul for another soul. In search for this soul, Nico meets Percy at Geryon's ranch. Percy tells him that Bianca has been sending him Iris Messages, which angers Nico, as she refuses to see him. Later, Bianca appears. She tells Nico to stop holding a grudge against Percy and it is she that Nico is angry at, not Percy. Later in the book, Nico is seen talking to Bianca again. She appears once in The Last Olympian, attempting to dissuade Nico from summoning their mother. Her warning goes unheeded. In The Son of Neptune, it is mentioned that Nico goes searching for Bianca when Thanatos is kidnapped but finds that she has been given rebirth. Instead, he finds Hazel and brings her back to life. Maria di Angelo Nico has no memories of his mother, which is why he is so eager to discover more information from Hades, who uses this to his advantage at times. He attempts to summon her, despite Bianca warning him that he should not. In his attempt to summon his mother, he is presented a memory which discusses the terms of the agreement after World War II and how Hades defied it. Nico watches as Hades and Maria discuss how Hades can bring her to safety, though his offer of building her a palace is declined. He then sees Zeus destroy a hotel in an attempt to get rid of him and Bianca. Hades Nico and his father share a complicated relationship. They are both extremely similar, especially in their susceptibility to grudges. Both of them are also somewhat cynical. However, Nico seems to have a stronger tie to his friends, while Hades seems to have a much darker view of his siblings. Nico is also a good deal more genuine, while Hades can be crafty, as seen from how he used Nico to attempt to trap Percy. Hades seems to care a great deal for his son and want to redeem himself in the Olympians' eyes through Nico. Nico also appears to want to please his father. At the same time, Nico is unafraid to challenge his father in order to do what Nico believes is right. Hades occasionally remarks that it would've been better if Bianca survives, much to Nico's dismay, but in the end, he views his son with pride. Persephone Nico and his stepmother aren't fond of each other. Persephone is jealous of Maria di Angelo and because of that, she dislikes Nico. She once turned him into a dandelion. Nico and Persephone share a mutual disliking of each other as he is a reminder of Hades' affair with Maria di Angelo, who Persephone is jealous of. This same dislike appears between Percy and Amphitrite, as well as Thalia and Hera. Persephone appears to take it to another level through turning Nico into a dandelion. In The Mark of Athena it is revealed that Nico carries around some pomegranate seeds from Persephone's garden in case of an emergency, and so uses them when he is trapped by the twin giants. It is unknown how Persephone feels about Nico using an item from her personal garden, or if she is aware at all. Camp Jupiter To everyone at Camp Jupiter, Nico is just a traveling outcast. However, Reyna and Octavian grow suspicious when Nico seems to know about Alcyoneus in the meeting. Camp Jupiter proclaims him as the Ambassador from Pluto. Items *A Stygian iron sword. It is three feet long, and in The Last Olympian is described as being "black as a nightmare." It helps Nico to channel his power to control and summon the dead, and it can also drain souls to give the sword more power. Only Hades and his children can use Stygian Iron for their weapons. *He is seen wearing black armor in The Last Olympian with a skull shaped visor. *A skull ring shown in The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian, and The Son of Neptune. Twisting it makes the nearest dead restless. He usually uses it when he's moody to relieve tension. *Mythomagic figurines and cards. He throws them in a fire in anger during The Battle of the Labyrinth. *In The Battle of the Labyrinth, he had a pair of Daedalus' wings, but after he used them, he threw it away in a trash can. *A red travel rose that he didn't use, given to him by Persephone, in The Sword of Hades. *Seeds of the Pomegrante he carries in case he ever gets captured, so he can go into a death trance. Etymology *The name Nico is the diminutive form of Nicolò or Nicola, the Italian form of the Greek Nikolaos (Nicholas), meaning "victory of the people." It is most likely intended to evoke the prefix necro-'', meaning dead. His surname is Italian for "of the angels" alluding to his role as the Lord of the Dead's son. *Nico is also a form of Nike, goddess of victory. Trivia *Bianca di Angelo, Thalia Grace, and himself are the only known Greek Half-Bloods of the Big Three who's aging has been tampered by their godly parent. *Despite the fact that Nico isn't a one of the Seven Heroes of Olympus, he is one of the most powerful demigods in the world. *It seems like he was the first Greek demigod to have ever visited/known about Camp Jupiter since the American Civil War. *The line "With great power...comes great need to take a nap." is a near obvious reference to one of Spider-Man's most famous line: "With great power, comes great responsibility", albeit a bit altered for comedic effect and to indicate that Nico's powers tire him greatly, prompting him to take naps every now and again to regain his strength, as he did at that moment in ''The Last Olympian. *Nico's physical description (pale skin, dark hair, brown eyes, black clothes, and an aura of death) also fitsRick Riordan's description of Anubis, the Egyptian god of funerals, in The Kane Chronicles series. *The first time he met Mr D., he called him "The wine dude", which irritated the god, but he forgot about it soon after. *Nico was turned into a dandelion for a short period of time by Persephone during a "family spat." This was never seen directly in the books, but is talked about by Nico and Persephone in The Demigod Files. *Nico has been to a New Orleans graveyard, though it is unknown why he went. Interestingly, this is one of the favorite hangouts of another death god (Anubis, the Egyptian god of funerals). It was also the place that his half-sister Hazel Levesque lived just before her death. *Nico and Jason Grace have similarities: **They both have older sisters, whom have both been/are Hunters of Artemis. **They have both been to Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. **They have godly stepmothers (Persephone, Juno). **Both have lost their memory. Nico's because of being dipped in the River Lethe and Jason's was removed by Hera/Juno (though, Jason's is temporary). *Hazel Levesque and Nico's mothers have very similar first names: Marie Levesque and Maria di Angelo. *Nico's birthday is undecided. Rick Riordan has stated on two different occasions his birth-date: January 28th, 1924 and May 16th, 1924. The years seemed to be off, seeing that Nico would have been 19 when his mother died, when he was only two-four years old. It is known that he is older than Hazel. *In the series, he is described as having long, shaggy black hair, and in his portrait he has short brown hair. Also, he seems to have green eyes instead of brown, and not as pale of skin. *He is the only child of the Big Three to never have gone on a quest. However, he, Percy, and Thalia were given the task of retrieving the then unfinished sword of Hades, and succeeded. *Unlike his half sister, Hazel, horses don't like Nico. *As of The Mark of Athena, Nico is the only known demigod ever to have returned from Tartarus alive. *Nico, as a son of Hades, has control over ghosts, as he is "the Ghost King", however Melinoe is the goddess of ghosts. *Nico, as of The Blood of Olympus, is the only demigod in the entire combined series (Percy Jackson and the Olympians ''and ''Heroes of Olympus) to ever directly kill another demigod in cold blood, out of his own free will.